PARTENARIAT AVECPARTNERSHIP WITH PUR PROJET
La Défense, April 26, 2019. Verallia strengthens its environmental strategy and partners with PUR Projet in a carbon offset program to plant more than 500,000 trees
Committed for several years to reducing its environmental footprint, the Verallia Group – a world leader in glass packaging for food and beverages – has signed a partnership agreement with PUR Projet to set up a carbon offset program. It is based on two distinct mechanisms: a climate program in Latin America and a program for the environmental integration of Verallia’s production sites. The climate program will offset 1% of the Group’s emissions each year and plant more than 100,000 trees per year for five years.
This initiative reinforces a broader CSR policy that Verallia has been pursuing for several years and which is structured around 3 main areas: helping to preserve the environment, acting for the safety and development of teams, and contributing to the development of communities. In particular, Verallia has set itself a target of reducing its CO2 emissions by 1% per year* by improving the energy performance of its production facilities and increasing the use of cullet (collected household glass waste). To reduce the carbon footprint of its bottles and jars, Verallia offers its customers an eco-designed range that is lightweight and developed to maximize the number of items per pallet.
The carbon offset program, designed by Verallia and PUR Projet, includes:
-A reforestation and agroforestry project in Latin America (Peru, Honduras, Colombia and Brazil) to which Verallia has committed for an initial five-year period and which will offset 1% of the Group’s total emissions* each year and plant more than 100 000 trees per year. This project also promotes the socio-economic development of disadvantaged communities while preserving local ecosystems.
-A project to integrate the Verallia group’s production sites into their environment and territory, through concrete initiatives such as reforestation of sites, market gardening, support for producers and support for local initiatives.
Commenting on the signing of this partnership, Michel Giannuzzi, Chairman and CEO of Verallia, said: “We are pleased to partner with PUR Projet, a company renowned for its expertise in climate issues and its approach based on creating shared value. Our priority at Verallia remains the reduction of CO2 emissions from our installations, for which we are constantly striving, but with this carbon offsetting program, we wish to go further in our contribution to the fight against climate change while supporting the socio-economic development of local communities.”
*More information in Verallia CSR Report: https://csr.verallia.com/en/pdf_2019/mobile/index.html#p=15
**This carbon offsetting of 1% of CO2 emissions complements but does not replace the objective of reducing Verallia’s CO2 emissions by 1% per year. This compensation is based on the purchase of ex-ante carbon credits validated by third-party auditors accredited by the Verified Carbon Standard / Gold Standard. The official withdrawal of carbon credits from the official Markit register is planned between 2020 and 2030. The volume offset in 2019 corresponds to 1% of the direct and indirect carbon footprint in 2018.
About Verallia
An independent Group, Verallia is the third largest global manufacturer of glass containers for food and beverages, and proposes innovative, customized and environmentally-friendly solutions. €2.4 billion revenue with 16 billion glass bottles and jars produced in 2018. Around 10,000 employees, and 32 glass production facilities in 11 countries. For more information: www.verallia.com.
About PUR Projet
Founded in 2008 by Tristan Lecomte, creator of the Alter Eco fair trade brand, and Pierric Jammes, PUR Projet helps companies restore and preserve the ecosystems on which they depend, while enabling local communities to improve their living conditions as part of long-term projects. As a social enterprise, PUR Projet reinvests its profits in the development of these innovative projects, encouraging local entrepreneurial initiatives for a responsible, positive and virtuous economy. PUR Projet is active in about fifty countries. For more information, please contact: www.purprojet.com.